I dart my gaze from Luke to Lily, who’s shooting me a warning look, then another until I finally get what she’s worried about. If Luke goes poking around in his old room, the jig will be up, and they’ll know something isn’t right here.
“A text might have been nice. I was making dinner.”
Wade lifts the lid to my sauce and inhales. “Are these your famous meatballs, Pay-man?” He roams his gaze to the other guys. “Looks like we came just in time, boys. Let’s help Pay wrap this up so he can rest.”
Mathéo takes the flowers and glass from me. “I’ll finish setting the table.”
He proceeds to grab additional silverware and napkins, which tells me they intend to stay. Normally, when this happens, I just go along with the flow. They’re my friends, and I do enjoy cooking for them.
But I had an evening planned that I hoped might warm Lily to the idea of something happening between us. Although, after the stunt I pulled with the flowers, I may as well declare tonight a lost cause.
Elias gets to work, slathering the French bread with the garlic butter I prepared, while Ethan pours in the box of pasta and stirs.
Luke bounces his gaze from Lily to me. “I left my jackets in the coat closet.”
“I’ll help you.” Lily darts over the closet to the left of the front door and helps Luke sift through thehanging articles.
A short while later, another knock sounds. Lily shoots a questioning look my way, to which I shrug. I can’t imagine who else would be stopping by at this point.
She opens the door, revealing Sophie and Mia.
“Surprise!” Sophie gives Lily a hug, then heads toward me, holding a pie. “We brought dessert. Luke texted we were doing dinner here, so Mia and I stopped to pick up a few things for you.”
Mia holds up a grocery sack. “I have the ice cream and whipped cream.”
Suddenly, my intimate dinner for two has turned into a party of nine. Good thing I made a large pot of sauce.
I sigh and head to where Ethan’s stirring and grab another box of pasta from the cabinet. “We’re going to need more.”
Chapter Thirteen
LILY
So many people in one small apartment…
Sophie and Mia chat with Mathéo, asking him questions about his unexpected table-setting skills. They appear quite impressed with his explanation about hismémé,his grandmother, who taught him many things ‘French.’
Wade and Ethan delegated Payton to the couch, and they’re picking apart a replay of an NHL game that featured an unusual play by the goalie that helped the team score the winning goal in overtime.
They’re all so comfortable and easy around each other, as if they’ve done this dozens of times, which I suspect they have. Something tugs in my chest, a longing of some kind that I’m unsure what to do about.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket, so I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. Must be Del, as she’s pretty much the only person who texts me. Except for Sophie and Mia, now that we’re in a group chat for the fundraiser, but they’re here. And these days, most of my conversations with Del seem to happen in restrooms.
Del: Having fun?
Lily: I honestly don’t know how to answer that.
Del: Everyone checked out as expected. Nothing to worry about.
Lily: That’s what you think.
Del: Trouble in paradise?
Lily: Remember that assignment in India?
Del: Oof! So many people!
Lily: Exactly.
